Wedding Totally Explained

:Nuptial is the adjective of "wedding". It is used for example in zoology to denote plumage, coloration, behavior, etc related to or occurring in the mating season. A wedding is a ceremony that celebrates the beginning of a marriage or civil union. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. In some countries, cultures and religions, the actual act of marriage begins during the wedding ceremony. In others, the legal act of marriage occurs at the time of signing a marriage license or other legal document, and the wedding is then an opportunity to perform a traditional ceremony and celebrate with friends and family. A woman taking part in the ceremony is called a bride, a man called a bridegroom, after the ceremony they become a wife and a husband, respectively.

Types

A double wedding is a single ceremony where two affianced couples rendezvous for two separate weddings. Typically, a fiancé with a sibling might plan a double wedding with that sibling.
   A destination wedding is any wedding in which the engaged couple and/or a majority of their guests travel to attend the ceremony. Whether this happens for an intimate beach ceremony in the Caribbean, extravagant nuptials in Las Vegas or for a simple ceremony in someone's back yard, chances are it qualifies as a destination wedding.
   A weekend wedding is a wedding in which couples and their guests celebrate over the course of a weekend. Special activities, such as spa treatments and golf tournaments, are scheduled into the wedding itinerary for guests' enjoyment throughout the weekend. Lodging usually is at the same facility as the wedding and couples often host a Sunday brunch for the weekend's finale.
   A white wedding is a formal or semi-formal wedding in the United Kingdom, Ireland and United States, as well as Commonwealth, traditions.
   A military wedding is a ceremony conducted in a military chapel.
   An online wedding is a wedding that's either conducted on the internet, or is an event that resembles a standard wedding when two people who wish their avatars, or characters, to be married. Many couples are using the internet to meet and share their vows. Planning is made easy, with online wedding guides (see references) where reliable and friendly vendors are listed. Weddings that are broadcast live online are also referred to as online weddings.
   A same-sex wedding is a ceremony in which two people of the same sex are married or, more commonly, civilly united. This may be an official and legally recognized event, or (in places that don't allow same-sex marriage) it may simply be an opportunity to make the same pledges and have the same celebration with friends and family as at a heterosexual wedding.
   A civil wedding is a ceremony presided over by a local civil authority, such as an elected or appointed judge, justice of the peace or the mayor of a locality. Civil wedding ceremonies may use references to God, but generally no references to a particular religion or denomination. They can be either elaborate or simple. Many civil wedding ceremonies take place in local town or city halls or courthouses in judge's chambers.
   A church wedding is a ceremony presided over by a Christian priest. Ceremonies are based on reference to God, are frequently embodied into other church ceremonies like Holy Mass.
   A Jewish wedding is a ceremony presided over by a rabbi. The rabbi recites the wedding blessing, reads out the ketubah, the rabbi, or those close to the couple, bless the couple by saying the seven blessings and the ceremony finishes when the groom breaks a glass underfoot.

Expense

The average expense of a wedding in the United States, as of 2007, is $28,000. This is twice the cost of a wedding in 1990. The wedding industry nets $161 billion dollars yearly, according to Rebecca Mead, author of "One Perfect Day."
The average expense of a wedding is typically broken down into payment to several small enterprises and vendors, from caterers to musicians.

Customs

Wedding ceremonies may contain any number of different elements, however most contain wedding vows of some kind and a proclamation of marriage, usually by the officiant. Most weddings also involve wearing the traditional clothes of the culture in which the couple is wedding. A wedding is often followed or accompanied by a wedding reception.
Other elements may include music, poetry, prayer, scripture, or other traditions. In most societies a number of traditions or customs have emerged around the wedding ceremony, many of which have lost their original symbolic meaning in the modern world. Other wedding traditions are relatively recent. Some elements of the traditional Western wedding ceremony symbolize the bride's departure from her father's control and entry into a new family with her husband. In modern Western weddings, this symbolism is largely vestigial, since a husband and wife are of equal power and status.
A wedding's particular customs may be varied, mixed, or invented to suit the personalities, interests, and cultural backgrounds of the couple. Such hybrid ceremonies are more common when performed by civil celebrants, as in Australia, the United States and Canada.

Clothing

Different wedding traditions call for different wedding outfits:

Qipao, Chinese traditional formal wear
Batik and Kebaya, a special garment worn by the Javanese people of Indonesia.
Barong Tagalog, an embroidered formal garment of the Philippines
Kimono, the traditional garments of Japan
Sari, Indian popular and traditional dress in India
Ao dai, traditional garments of Vietnam
Morning dress, a particular category of men's formal dress
Kilt, male garment particular to Scottish culture
Topor, a type of conical headgear
Tuxedo
- Black tie, indicating dinner jacket in the UK
- White tie, indicating evening dress in the UK
Sherwani, a long coat-like garment worn in South Asia
Wedding veil
Wedding dress

Music

African weddings

Traditional music throughout Africa is almost always functional; in other words, it's performed to mark a ritual such as a wedding. A traditional African wedding ritual serves to combine the families of the bride and groom. Because Africa is a continent with a wide range of ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity, the music of Africa varies widely.

Chinese weddings

Chinese music plays an important role to create an environment of jolly and noisy atmosphere in the wedding ceremony. A band of musicians with gongs and flute-like instruments accompanies the bride parade to groom's home. Similar music is also played in wedding banquet.

Western weddings

Music often played at western weddings includes a processional song for walking down the aisle (ex: Wedding March) and reception dance music. More at wedding music.

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